


The Truth

by NinetyFiveFathoms



Category: Scrubs (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Kelsox, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 14:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11129169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinetyFiveFathoms/pseuds/NinetyFiveFathoms
Summary: As Perry leaves for work, Kelso says something that catches him off-guard.





	The Truth

**Author's Note:**

> I saw [this gif](https://68.media.tumblr.com/e52278d90890d48adb8ab3bf74c3a228/tumblr_inline_or5yrc3hxv1uavgl1_540.gif) of Perry from "My Perspective" used to support the idea of it being okay to say "I love you" to your friends, and it gave birth to a headcanon that I found cute enough to write a quick oneshot about it. Takes place after season eight in an AU where Kelso stays in the area and comes back to work at Sacred Heart.

“I love you, Bob,” Perry uttered as he kissed him goodbye, a gesture that had become routine since they started living together two months ago. “See you in a few hours.”

Kelso kissed him back, then paused for a moment, debating whether or not to verbalize the thought he’d had for a while now. He sighed absentmindedly, causing Perry to stop in his path to the door and turn around.

“What’s wrong, Bob?”

“Nothing’s _wrong_ , I’m just…surprised at how much you’ve taken to saying ‘I love you.’”

Taken aback, Perry’s eyebrows creased as he looked with concern at Kelso, vulnerability and fear stirring within him. “You said it first, so I just assumed…” he trailed off. “Would you rather I didn’t?”

“Oh, no no, of course not,” he quickly reassured Perry. “But, as vocal as you are, ‘love’ is never a word I’ve known you to say, certainly not without significant restraint.”

“In fairness, Bobarino, that’s because I haven’t often loved anybody except for myself,” he joked, cracking a smile as he said, “and even then, it depends on the day.”

“Of course,” Kelso chuckled, then adopted a serious tone again. “But…you’ve always been uncomfortable showing direct affection, and I guess I…”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to change who you are to make me happy,” Kelso finally verbalized. “You don’t have to say it if you’re not comfortable with it.”

Perry crossed his arms, brushing a finger over his nose in the process, and looked at Kelso determinedly; Kelso adopted Perry’s former look of bewilderment and concern, until Perry finally spoke.

“Sorry, Bobbo,” he teased, “but I’m going to tell the truth whenever I damn well please.”

Uncrossing his arms, he closed the space between the two of them, cupping Kelso’s face in his hands as he gently kissed him. A moment later he ended the kiss, pulling the shorter man into an embrace.

“I love you,” Perry whispered, his voice serious. “You may not need to hear it, but I’m never going to stop saying it.”

Pulling back, Perry cupped Kelso’s face again and looked with fierce love into his eyes as he repeated, “Never.”

His face twisting up slightly in a wrinkled smile of wordless appreciation, Kelso stared back into Perry’s eyes; he opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced by the wave of emotion that had swept over him. The two simply stared at each other for another moment, Perry stroking Kelso’s face with his thumbs.

“Now,” Perry finally said, his voice slightly louder, “I should actually get going to the hospital.”

“That you should, Chief,” Kelso smiled, clearing his throat to remove the gravel from his voice. “I’ll see you when my shift starts.”

“Bye, Sweetie,” Perry said, then turned away and opened the door.

“Oh, and Perry?” Kelso called after him.

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

Perry smiled and walked out the door.


End file.
